Apparatus for utilizing solar heat.



H. E. WILLSIB. APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING SOLAR HEAT.

AYPLIOATION FILED JUNE 1, 1903.

Patented June 23, 1914.

2 SHEETBSHEET 2.

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m I I I M HENRY n. WILLSIE,'O1E NEW Yonx, N. r.

' APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING SOLAR HEAT.

Specification 01! Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application tiled June 1, 1903. 5618.11.10. 159,555.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. Wnmsm, a citizen of the 'United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented new and use ful Im rovements in Apparatus for Utilizing Soar Heat, of WhlCll the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in solar apparatus in which a vaporgenerated by heat from the sun is used in a suitable engine to do usefulwork.

The objects of my invention are to provide means for storing solar heat,for producing a vapor pressure from solar heat or 'from the stored heat,and for utilizing the vapor pressure to generate power. I attain theseobjects by the device shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of the solar-heat receiving andstoring compartment; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the entireapparatus; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section of the glasssupports; Fig. 4 is a sectionalview of the escaped vapor pump; Fig. 5 isan end view of the same and Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section throughFig. 2 on the line X-X in the direction of the arrow A.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The heat receiving and storing compart-' 7 ment consists of a liquidholding basin above which are supported sheets of glass. The sides ofthe compartment are adapted to prevent the heat escaping.

The basin 10 is made of cement, or other suitable material, laid uponthe sand. The

supports 11, 11 are wooden posts set in the 7 sashes. These sashes aresupported in the grooves 12, 12, and are further supported by the braces14, 14, secured to the beams 12, 12. To the supports 11, 11, are alsosecured wooden beams 15, 15, provided with the grooves 15", 15". Inthese rooves rest the upper and lower edges of t e sheets of glass 16,16. These sheets of lass are further supported by the braces 1 17. Tothe side posts or supports, are secured the planks 18, 18. To furtherinsulate the sides of the compartment sand or ashes may be bankedagainst the planks as shown at 19.

In the Northern Hemisphere some advantage is gained by inclining theplanks 20, 20 at the north slde'of the compartment in the manner shown.The eastand west sides of the compartment may be formed in the samemanner. The inclination of the beams 12 and 15 should be such as toleast obstruct the suns,rays in December.

The basin 10 is preferably filled with water, although the apparatus isoperative without the water. Or instead of water a solution of chlorinof calcium, or liquid asphalt may be used. The depth and size of thebasin depend upon the amount of heat it isdesired to store in the water.The surthe glass and into the liquid are changed by the liquid into heatrays which cannot so .easily pass back through the glass. For thisreason a greater'proportion of the solar energy entering the heater ischanged into available heat than if there were no liquid exposeddirectly to the suns rays; for without the liquid a considerable portionof the actinic or light rays are reflected back through the glass andlost.

Upon the blocks 21, 21 is laid' the vaporizing pipe 22. I havefound thata' natural circulation caused by differences in temperature in the heatcollecting liquid, is'restrict-ed to a small area or zone, and

that for a solar power plant large enough to be useful heat cannot becollected from a suficiently large area and conveyed by naturalcirculation to a vaporizer outside the heater. On the other hand tocover the entire heat collecting surface with vaporizing pipes wouldmake the cost too great. I;

the reservoir and up between the pipes to the surface again. This pipecontains sulfur dioxid, carbon dioxid, ammonia or some other liquid thatvaporizes at a low temperature. One end of the pipe 22 leads out of theheat compartment to the engine 23 of the usual reciprocating type,although an engine of another type, or a turbine may be used. Whensulfur dioxid, ammonia or similar substances are used in an engine,precautions should be taken to prevent leaking. It is alsoobjectionable-to have moisture carried into the cylinder by thereciprocating piston rod. For this reason all the moving parts of theengine, except the driving pulley are tightly inclosed in the case 24.In this case is put quick lime or chlorid of calcium, or some othersubstance that will absorb the moisture within the case.

To prevent the loss of vapor at the packing points of the piston-rod andthe valve-rod, an escaped vapor pump 25 is provided, the details ofwhich are shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The packing case 26 containsthe'packing 26 and the gland 26" surrounding the valve rod 26. Thepacking is held in place by the nut 26. The gland 26" is recessed asshown and these recesses are connected with the escaped vapor pump bythe tube 26*. The piston rod 27 1s siinilarl surrounded by the packing27* and the g and 27' held in the case 27 by the nut 27. The gland 27"is connected with the escaped vapor pump by the tube 27. The escapedvapor pump consists of the casing 25 within which is the piston 25surrounded by the packing 25 held in place by the nut 25. At the point25 this pump is connected to the exhaust pipe of the engine by the tube25 This opening of the escaped-vapor pump isclosed by the ball-valve25".

In operation, any vapor escaping along the valve-rod or piston-rod isdrawn from the recesses of the glands into the pump and by it compressedand driven into the exhaust. This pump is operated by an eccentricconnected to the rod 25 and may.

be made to pump into any part of the vapor sy item.

i he exhaust of the engine is connected with one end of the condensingpipe 28 laid in the trough 29, which is covered, to protect the pipesfrom the suns rays. The other end of the condensing pipe 28 connectswith the feed pump 30. This feed pump consists of the casing 30 securedto the engine 23, the

piston 30", which is an extension of the engine piston, and the valves30', 30

As is well known, the feed pump will be more eflicient if it is locatedso as to have a gravity feed from the condensing pipes.

The engine is shown connected by the belt 31 to the centrifugal waterpump 32, which discharges into the trough 29.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The suns heat passingthrough the glass 13 and 16 is absorbed and stored principally by thewater in the basin. The described construction permits this heat toescape pnly very slowly. The solar rays on the pipes 22 and the heat ofthe water vaporize the, sulfur dioxid or ammonia in the pipe. "fljlheheat stored in the water will continue fer some time to generate vaporin the pipes a'fter the sun has stopped shining. As the water next tothe pipe cools, warm water is brought in contact with the pipe byconvection, or by a mechanically induced current in the water. Theexpanded vapor, now having a high pressure, passes to the engine,operates it, and exhausts into condensing pipe 28. The centrifugal pumpis continuously pumping cool water from a well, or river, into thetrough 29 through which it flows in the direction of the arrows B, B.This cool water reduces the temperature of the vapor in the pipe 28 sothat, with the back pressure in the pipe 28, it liquefies. This liquidsulfur dioxid or ammonia is then pumped by the feed pump 30 into thevaporizing pipe 22. The condensing pipes may be put in a river of coolwater instead of in the trough.

The apparatus as shown here is designed principally for pumping waterfor irrigation, although other machinery may be driven from the pulley32.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction andarrangement shown and it may be modified and re-arranged withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. In a solar apparatus, the combination of a transparently 'coveredreceptacle adapted to contain a liquid and to expose the liquid to thesuns rays, vaporizing pipes located within said receptacle and connectedin an operative cycle to a condenser, an engine and feed pump, and meansfor holding each pipe of said vaporizer in a separate zone of naturalcirculation of said liquid.

2. In a solar apparatus, the combination of -a transparently coveredreceptacle adapted to contain and expose a liquid directly to the sunsrays, a vaporizer consisting of pipes arranged horizontally slightlybelow the surface of said liquid, each pipe being located in a separatezone of natural circulation of said liquid.

3. In a solar apparatus, the combination of a vaporizer adapted tocontain a motive fluid and connected in an operative cycle with anengine, feed pump and condenser, a transparently covered receptacleadapted to contain and expose a liquid to the suns rays, means forsecuring each pipe of said vaporizer slightly below the surface of aliquid in said receptacle, and means for settin up zones of circulationin the liquid in sai receptacle.

4. In a solar apparatus, vaporizing ipes adapted to contain a volatllehquid an connectd in an operative cycle with an engine, feed pump andcondenser, a transparently covered receptacle adapted to contain ali uidhavi a higher boiling point than said volatile iquid cpntained in thevaporizing pipes, means for securing said vaporizing pipes horizontallysli htly below the surface of the liquid in sai receptacle, and meansfor locating each pipe ina separate zone of natural circulation of saidliquid in the receptacle 5. In a solar apparatus, the combination of va0 i es adapted to contain a vola e liqui a r id connected in anoperative cycle with an en 'ne, condenser and feed ump, a receptac e adated to contain a iquid havi a higher iling point than said volatilequid, means for exposing the liquid in said receptacle to the suns rays,means for, sec the vaporizing pipes horizontally s h-y below the surfaceof the liquid in sai receptacle, each pipe being located in a separatezone of natural circulation of said liquid.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this eleventh day of May, 1903.

HENRY E. WILLSIE.

Witnesses:

Waurmz Cox, F. E. MCCRABY.

